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Showing posts from April, 2025

From Data to Documents: Automating Reports with Power BI Paginated Reports

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  What Are Paginated Reports? Paginated Reports are perfect when you need: Fixed layouts (just like traditional reports) Reports that are print-ready or exported to PDF/Excel To handle large volumes of data (like a 10,000-row invoice list) Repeated layouts per group (like one invoice per customer) How It Works: From Data to Documents Step 1: 📊 Connect to Data Use Power BI datasets, SQL Server, Azure SQL, or other sources Power BI Paginated Reports can reuse existing models and datasets Step 2: 🧱 Design the Template Use Power BI Report Builder (drag-and-drop tool) Add: Tables Images (e.g., logos) Grouping logic Page headers/footers Parameters (like Customer ID) Step 3: 🛠 Set Up Automation Upload the .rdl report to the Power BI Service Use subscriptions or Power Automate to: Schedule the report to run daily/weekly Automatically export to PDF/Excel Email it to users or upload to SharePoint Step 4: 📤 Generate & ...

Print-Ready Reports in Power BI: Why Paginated Reports Matter

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Paginated Reports are a type of report in the Microsoft reporting ecosystem designed to display data in a fixed, printable format . They are especially useful when you need to generate reports that are: Printable or PDF-friendly Pixel-perfect, meaning the layout doesn’t change no matter the screen size Multi-page reports, like invoices, statements, or regulatory documents Capable of handling large amounts of tabular data efficiently While Power BI reports are interactive and dynamic (great for dashboards and visual exploration), Paginated Reports are better suited for scenarios where the report format and layout need to remain consistent. Standard Power BI Report A standard Power BI report is an interactive, visual report built using Power BI Desktop (.pbix). It’s designed to explore data dynamically and provide insights through visuals like charts, maps, KPIs, tables, slicers, etc. Key Features: Interactive dashboards and reports Users can click, filter, and slice data in real time B...

Demystifying Focused View in Dynamics 365: When and Why to Use It

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Focused view lets you see and work with all important details — like your accounts, contacts, leads, opportunities , and their activities — all in one place. You don’t have to keep jumping between different pages, which helps you stay on track, save time, and work more easily. Now, focused view works for everything, even for custom records. But you’ll need your admin to turn it on for you. Example: Imagine you’re working on a sales lead. With focused view , you can see the lead’s contact info, related emails, calls, and tasks — all on one screen. No more clicking around to find things! Why Focused View is Important: All-in-One Interface View record details and activities on a single screen No need to switch between tabs or pages Boosts Productivity Helps you stay focused on current tasks Reduces distractions caused by navigating multiple windows Smart Task Management Easily track, sort, and prioritize activities Add notes or create follow-ups quickly Improved User Experience Cle...

Sales Hub Basics: Why ‘Sales Enterprise App Access’ Isn’t Enough

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What is "Sales Enterprise app access"? " Sales Enterprise app access " is a predefined security role in Dynamics 365 CRM. It's specifically used to grant access to the Sales Enterprise application (Sales Hub) — but it does not provide CRUD access (Create, Read, Update, Delete) to actual data like accounts, opportunities, or leads. Logical Meaning It's like a "pass" to enter the Sales Enterprise app interface. It’s not enough to do work — users still need additional roles (like Salesperson, Sales Manager, or a custom role) to interact with records. Think of it as a door key to the building , not keys to the individual offices inside.   Technical Meaning The role provides Model-Driven App access permissions. It includes privileges to use the app shell, navigation, dashboards, and access to the Sales Hub UI . No read/write permissions to any entity (like Account, Lead, Opportunity, etc.). Without additional roles, users wil...

When in Doubt, Write It Out – The Genius of Kidlin’s Law

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In project management, complications and inefficiencies often arise from a lack of clarity in defining the problem – resulting in missed deadlines or project failure. Kidlin's Law, which states that "if you can write the problem down clearly, the matter is half solved," emphasizes the importance of articulating problems with precision. When a problem is clearly written down and broken down into smaller, manageable components, it becomes much less overwhelming. Today, as we explore its relevance to social work and beyond, we'll look at how Kidlin's Law can be articulated and applied practically – providing both clarity and direction. This principle is a game-changer in project management: the simple act of writing down the problem promotes clarity, turning ambiguous issues into structured, solvable challenges. In the face of overwhelming and complex problems, our minds often race, leaving us paralyzed by confusion.  Kidlin's  Law provides a simple yet transform...

Beyond Blame: Understanding Gilbert’s Law in the Modern Workplace

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Efficiency and accountability are critical to success. To get things done or succeed, we need proper planning and continuous learning to find the right method. People are often thrown into tasks with vague or no guidance – yet they are expected to deliver great results. Gilbert’s Law highlights the frustration faced by many professionals: being expected to deliver results without proper guidance, and then being held accountable when things go wrong. It reflects a disconnect between leadership and execution and a lack of clear communication, roles and objectives. “The biggest problem at work is that nobody tells you what to do… and they still get mad at you for not doing it.”  — Gilbert’s Law "Confidence doesn’t come from perfection—it comes from clarity, preparation, and progress." Step 1: Understand the Task Clearly Before jumping in, take time to analyze the task: What exactly needs to be done? What are the goals and requirements? What challenges might come up? Who is invol...

Why Requirement Gathering Is Critical in Software Development

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In modern software development—especially when using Agile methodologies, DevOps practices, or low-code platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365—r equirements form the foundation of a successful project. In engineering, a requirement is a clearly documented need describing what a product or service should do or how it should behave. In software engineering, requirements are generally classified into two types: Functional Requirements : These describe the specific behavior or functions a system must perform. For example, "The system must allow users to submit a support ticket." Non-Functional Requirements: These define the quality attributes of a system—how well it performs its functions. Examples include performance , scalability , usability , availability , reliability , supportability , testability , maintainability , and ease of use. Together, these requirements ensure the solution not only works as expected but also delivers a high-quality user experience. A requirement is ...

Power BI Slicers vs Filters: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each?

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Slicers in Power BI provide an intuitive way for users to filter and explore data. While they enhance interactivity and usability, careful implementation is necessary to avoid performance issues. By following best practices, slicers can significantly improve report efficiency and user experience. In Power BI, a slicer is a visual filter that allows users to interactively filter data and explore specific subsets of information within a report. The slicer is a key visual used to filter other visuals in a report. It is commonly added to report pages because it provides an easy and intuitive way for users to filter data. As a report creator, you can customize the slicer's layout, formatting, and functionality to fit your needs.   By default, a slicer filters all visuals on the same page. However, you can adjust visual interactions to limit filtering between specific visuals. Additionally, sync slicers allow you to filter visuals across multiple pages. When to Use a Slicer in Power BI...